NFL Draft: Which positions should teams not be targeting?

For 18 of the 32 NFL teams, all attention is now turning to the draft with college highlights suddenly getting more views than ever. For some teams, the draft is a chance to pick the final piece of the puzzle, whilst for others, it’s a chance to turn their franchise around with a big swing for a QB, let’s take a look at which positions each team could target.

The Bears own the top pick via a trade with Carolina that occurred before the 2023 draft. For Chicago, this draft offers a range of possibilities that all depend on how much they trust Justin Fields at QB. Quarterback could well be on the cards with this pick, given they have the choice between Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, if not, more o-line help is urgently needed.  As Pro Football Network puts it, "Is quarterback a critical need? Not particularly... we haven’t seen enough from Fields or this offense to offer him a ridiculous extension."

For Washington, a bad season ended about as well as it could have with them ending up with the second overall pick. They now have the chance to select one of the top quarterbacks in the draft to pair with whoever they select as their new head coach, a possible dream partnership. QB is their main need, but after trading away their two best pass rushers, EDGE is also required.

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Like the teams above them, quarterback is a desperate need for New England, with Mac Jones not cutting it. If work on the presumption Bill Belichick is gone, this could be another chance for a new coach to partner themselves with a young QB. A potential trade-up to number one could be on the cards. WR is also a big need alongside help in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

The Cardinals seem settled with Kyler Murray after he returned from injury like he hadn’t missed a game. Now is all about surrounding him with as much talent as possible. Their offensive line has been playing well, but more help is always needed there, while the wide receiving room needs a big injection of talent.

The Chargers added the talented Quentin Johnston in the first round last year, who despite his ability, didn’t add much to the offense. More talent around Justin Herbert should be a priority once again, but the defense needs more attention. Joey Bosa can’t stay on the field and Khalil Mack is aging, despite his incredible play in 2023, look for LA to take an EDGE rusher or corner back early, given their need to, "address multiple spots on the defensive depth chart," per Pro Football Network.

The Daniel Jones experiment should’ve been over at the end of the 2022 season, instead, they gave him a huge new contract, worth $160 million over four years per CBS Sports. We would not at all be shocked to see the Giants look to select a new QB with this pick, especially as they could find themselves in the Jayden Daniels zone. They need an injection of talent almost everywhere else, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Will Levis probably showed enough to suggest he could become a good NFL QB, at the very least, he deserves another shot as the starter. If that is the route the Titans take, they need to seriously upgrade his protection and prioritize offensive tackle. Elsewhere, their receiving options could do with an injection of talent and youth.

The Falcons could well be another team looking to upgrade their QB but find themselves in a tough spot to do so. If that doesn’t become a reality, they need some big upgrades along their defensive line with star performer Calais Campbell possibly moving on (he’s also 37). EDGE rusher and defensive tackle should be the building blocks for their defense moving forward.

See slide one for needs, but we could see them going all in on building an explosive offense and selecting a wide receiver with this pick.

Is it sacrilegious to suggest the Jets should be looking to get some fresh blood in the building at QB? Aaron Rodgers is old and coming off a torn Achilles, can he be relied upon? The offensive line could certainly use an upgrade and maybe this is the year Rodgers finally gets a first-round pick used on a wide receiver to support him.

Kirk Cousins will more than likely return to Minnesota in 2024, but that should not preclude them from selecting a quarterback if one falls to them that they like. As ESPN.com says the Vikings can, "assess whether their ultimate draft position will be good enough to select a quarterback who is good enough"  Elsewhere, their defensive line could look very different in 2024, while safety could be an area to look at with Harrison Smith’s steady decline with age. 

Sean Payton has made it quite clear he wants to move on from Russell Wilson leaving the Broncos as another team desperately searching for help at QB. Given their lack of draft capital, we are unsure of hey they get their guy unless they settle for a lower-tier of player or get lucky. The Broncos’ D was mostly solid this year, but some pass-rushing help could be needed.

It is shocking how many teams in the bottom half of the draft are searching for an upgrade at quarterback, the Raiders are no exception to that despite Aiden O’Connell showing flashes at times. Again, like many teams, some reinforcements in the trenches are needed with little to rely on along the offensive line.

The Saints arguably could also attempt to upgrade at QB but given Derek Carr’s contract situation, it’s probably not realistic. Their best hope is to look at upgrades to their offensive line and surround Carr with as much talent as possible. Why not go and get another stud wideout to go alongside Chris Olave too?

The Colts have the chance to become a super exciting team to watch in 2024 with their young QB Anthony Richardson entering his second year. Go and select as many wide receivers as you can to complement Josh Downs, "adding a receiver couldn't hurt," as ESPN.com stated in their Draft Needs column. Defensively, there are upgrades needed at all three levels so seeing what they prioritize will be interesting to follow.

Quarterback… Geno Smith isn’t going to be the guy for long and they need a long-term plan at the position. Elsewhere they need help across both offensive and defensive lines. Defensively they could do with upgrades in most positions given their struggles at times this year.

The Jags need to get tougher in the trenches like many teams throughout the NFL, but for Jacksonville, they must focus on the defensive line. An argument could be made they need more help at receiver too, with Trevor Lawrence lacking consistent help on the outside beyond Calvin Ridley.

The Bengals are settled at QB, but elsewhere their offense needs some help. Tee Higgins is presumably gone in free agency so now WR becomes a priority alongside the ever-present need to upgrade along the offensive line. Defensively, some muscle in the middle of their line is needed. Fortunately for the Bengals, "here are many fantastic, big-bodied athletes at the position [WR] this year," per Pro Football Network.